New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-16
TOBOGGANNING AND TOBOGGANS.

HOW THE MACHINES ARE MADE AND WHAT THEY
CosT-GROwING POPULARITY OF THE SPORT.
II odd now. with tobcgganing at such height
of popularity he told THAI less than two years ago
tnere scarcely toboggan to be had at any OF tho
great toy sportinggoods houses IN this city, Dealers
who got ntrequent orders then tor the new-angedCan-
adam coasng seds filled them by importing machines
directly from Quebec or Montreal. 1t was, in fact
only through seeing occasional Illustration ID the
magaz mes newspapers, or bv reading of the Can
adian winter carnivas that the public came to know
ANYTHING at all OF this exciting sport Last year o
NUMBER OF toboggan clubs sprang I'D here and there
about New-iork and Boston. Slides were built and
the papers were full OF the charms and hazards Of
sliding" The sport became fashionable, and It's for
tnn. was fairly made. THIS year hundreds OF slides
have been put up in the towns and cities OF the Middle
States aud N.w- England Thousand, of toboggans arc
being made in New-Yort aud Boston, aud Thousands
more have been imported from Canada TO meet the
demand. which has grown within the last six weeks
almost to tic Dimensions OF a " craze"
The average toboggan Is merely lengthened sled
without runners IL is thin, aa running piece, about
feet long and eighteen inches wide. made, as
the may be. OF two parallel slats or OF six or
seven These stats are held firmly together by main
stays running al every foot. AT the front OF
the machine the slats are bent back again in curve
giving the sled sort of balance forward, and Offering
about tour inches high -uu along the sides OF tho
toboggan and the in front gives some protection
against the whrl OF snow on last Slide The machine
OF course like board, on tho whole OF its Hat
under surface. IL IL made OF the lighest woods OBJ
tanaDle. and does not weigh. on the average more
than sixteen eighteen pounds.
The ignal Indian toDoggan was simply one long.
fiat piece OF wood, bent upward at the 'front.' ms
was found lack sprDg ness and strength, anc two
narrower parallel pieces were substituted Tor the one
Az the sport developed in Canada The running iece
was into three, four ard then halt dozen paris
bouLd together by cleats These six-slal coasters
offered mnch lcss ricona surface TO tho snow. and
we're much faster consequently. The division into
parts. too, gave greater lateral resllicncy with
lighter aud moro even MOTION me best toOoggans
nov havs seven slats instead of six, an1 tho under
surface Of the sla longer Hat. but rounded, and
three OF tho stats arc trhe thicker than the rest
The sled runs on lever points, accordingly anu stiii
higher rare OF speed IL attained.
Rock maple, kiln dried. /, the best material for to-
boygans The .lats should DO 40 fastened iOgs her,
also, that bolts, screws ar rvets appear ON the
under side. toboggan like the STAR. made In the
United States, costs about IS. One OF the best
ounl,ty OF course, comes IA high "a S12 The large
sizrd Sars eight feet long and eighteen inches VIDE,
cost 80 A sinsie tOb ,ggan, tour feet long and
twelve and halt inches wide, costs from vi to 80 %
go ored cushions used m0st of the coisters
These cost about 90 cents foot. Canadian to0oggans
are cheaper than those made here. but less highly
finished.
demand for toboggaus all through the country hal tar
outrun the supply EyeL the large importation IRON
Canada had apparent effect on tie market here
WRIGHT " Dtson. OF Boston, had sold some D. 700
machines already, and all tho Boston houses we're
Jo,ng enually we'll The New-York dealers supply
the Pcnnysl,ana and New-Jersey toboggan climbs and
y part of those in New-York State Peck " Snyder
ship some 800 or 400 tob0ggans a week Spadings
branch store hero also does large business OF TINS
sort and almost every toy sporting goods store has
had it's supply exhausted this WINTER Ia the rage W
try the new Canadian si'dea.